


what happens at dawn in the forbidden forest

by Lyncias



Series: call it magic, call it true [4]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Fluff, I finally wrote something about my babies, Kaoru and Anzu cameo, Kaoru kinda gives a relationship talk, M/M, One Shot, but also not really, the title sucks because i'm stupid, this is the first happy story I have for these two and I feel bad lowkey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 11:43:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyncias/pseuds/Lyncias
Summary: Adonis thought he was seeing a Veela the first time he saw Souma





	what happens at dawn in the forbidden forest

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I finally wrote something for the first time in like 2 years djklsa. I've been wanting to write more HP AU since I came back from hp world in January but Life got me. Also I've been working on a more serious longer fic and I need some people to talk to about it and stuff so I'll really appreciated it if yall hmu !! And I also want friends so if yall interested my enstars acc on twitter is @/stxrmyclxudy if y'all wanna hmu there !!
> 
> I know yule ball only happens during tri-wizard tournament but for the sake of the plot let's pretend that's not the case sksksk
> 
> I wrote the last part listening to New Year's Day by Taylor Swift and I hope I managed to convey a little of what I was trying to go for fjdksksk
> 
> Thank you for clicking !! I hope you like this !!

The first time Adonis saw Souma, he was almost convinced that the purple-haired Gryffindor was a Veela.

He had snuck out of his dorm, tiptoeing past his sleeping roommates and down the silent corridor. Even the portraits were still asleep, snoring softly and completely oblivious to a student breaking school rules right under their noses.

Walking the halls after curfew was a precarious thing. Troubles could range from Filch the caretaker and his alarmingly human-like cat to shifting stairs to secret defenses no one has triggered in a hundred years. But luckily, the only thing he ran into as he made his way down the stairs was the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost. She floated across the hallway listlessly, her eyes searching for things that weren't there. She didn't spare him a single glance before disappearing through the wall.

He trotted out of the castle, making his way across the dew-covered lawn and towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

He had kept this habit for a year now, ever since he found that injured little hippogriff when he was a little third year. The hippogriff is back with her own herd now, but he kept up the habit of going to the Forbidden Forest in the morning. If nothing, to just sit around and breath in the earthy scent of the forest.

Branches crunched under his feet as he made his way to the small clearing he was fond of. Today there was no creatures there, nothing to feed or pat. He sat down, leaning against a formation of rocks that looked too much like sitting space to be naturally formed, and watched the sleeping castle and the thin veil of smoke from Hagrid's hut.

The sun was just peeking out over the horizon when Adonis decided that he would explore the forest a little. Entering the Forbidden Forest was, of course, forbidden, but nothing says anything about staying on the edge of it.

The forest was silent as Adonis finally decided that he would talk to his left. He walked quietly, trying not to disturb the silence. Any sound felt like an intrusion.

It wasn't long until he came across another small patch with any trees. Even before he reached the clearing, he could tell he was no longer alone. Someone else was there. Who was it? He found himself almost anxious. Running into the wrong person could mean the difference between waking up in his four-postered bed tomorrow morning and being packed onto a train home before lunchtime.

He made sure that the low-hanging branches concealed himself and peeked carefully through the leaves.

In the clearing is a young man, his long purple hair tied into a ponytail that moved gracefully with his body. He was in the middle of a complicated choreography that dizzied Adonis. If it weren't for the flying sparks of scattering light, he would've missed the gleaming sword in the young man's hands. He was like a trained dancer, mesmerizing in the gloom of the forest.

Adonis watched with intense fascination. He had never seen anyone move like this and he wondered if he will see anyone move like this ever again. Like a frenzied storm but so calculated and delicate. Every movement seemed so perfect. His entranced mind could only conjure up one explanation for this instance—that this person must be a Veela, a magical creature whose dance can enchant the most staunch of people.

Then, as sudden as Adonis had stumbled onto this dance, the Veela stopped. He held the sword out in front of him and, other than the heavy rise and fall of his chest, he could be mistaken for a sculpture. Dawn's light washed down from the gold-rimmed clouds and onto him and his sword and his light purple eyes and Adonis's heart fluttered frantically in his chest.

It took Adonis another few moments to recognize who the Veela was, and he wasn't a Veela after all. It was Souma, from Gryffindor. They have Defense Against the Dark Arts together, though Souma rarely spoke in that class. He was a bit strange, even in a place as weird as Hogwarts. Adonis had always been intrigued by him.

Through the lush new leaves, the two locked eyes in the lilac dawn. Souma froze for a moment, clearly surprised by his unexpected spectator. Then, as if by instinct, the corners of his lips tugged and he gave Adonis a tiny smile.

Adonis shot up from his hiding place. Then, suddenly afraid, he hurriedly returned the smile and turned away, running back the way he had come. He could feel Souma's eyes on his back long after he had disappeared into the trees.

And he spent the entire day thinking about his classmate—his eyes in the morning light, the sparks of light his sword sent flying into the forest, the way his hair arced through the air, and his dance that was so beautiful Adonis thought even a Veela's dance would pale in comparison to him.

—

For reasons unknown to him, it took Adonis almost a week to gather up the courage to go across the hall to the Gryffindor table.

Souma was still by himself, as usual. His sword was leaning against the table next to him. Around him, his housemates were consciously or subconsciously trying to distance themselves from the blade, stealing worried glances in his direction every once in a while.

Adonis sat down in front of him and Souma looked up in surprise.

"Hello," he said, surprised. Then, suddenly remembering his manners, he hurriedly added, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Adonis said, perhaps a little too clunky. They sat in silence for a few seconds. Adonis opened up his mouth and just was about to speak when the sound of owls drowned out his voice. The flapping wings blew the thoughts out of his head. He lowered his eyes.

Silence enveloped the two despite the noise around them. Souma gently shooed away an owl that was getting a little too interested in his sword and was trying to peck on its scabbard. The little owl turned its head and looked at Souma accusingly, then it turned to Adonis and cooed as if saying, are you seeing this? Then it flapped its wings and joined the stream of owls that flew out of the Great Hall, leaving behind feathers and droppings and the sound of newspapers being unfolded and tranquility.

"So—" they both spoke at the same time and stopped, the unsaid words as jarring as the silence.

"Sorry," Adonis said, scratching his face to hide his embarrassment. "I saw-run into you, in the forest."

Souma looked around nervously. "You-you won't tell anyone?" he asked.

"N-No! Of course not," Adonis said. He was so enthralled by Souma's dance of sword that the thought of reporting him did not cross his mind even once. The only thing he could think about was seeing it again.

Souma let out a breath. "Thanks," he said.

Adonis nodded. He was unsure of how to broach the topic. What if Souma didn't want anyone to watch his practices? What if he's mad at him for spying on him, to witness something he wasn't supposed to?

But Adonis had always been a straightforward person. So he said, without much hesitation, "Can I watch you again?"

Souma seemed to be caught off guard by that question. "Watch?"

Adonis nodded. "You were dancing," he said, suddenly uncertain of himself. "Can-Can I watch it again?"

Souma felt his face warming up with anxiety. He wasn't sure what Adonis had wanted. "Bu-But," he argued, "It's nothing. It's just a boring routine I made up."

Adonis wanted to tell him that it was not boring, on the contrary, it was one of the most brilliant things he had ever witnessed. He wanted to tell Souma how that was the only thing he could think of for days. But the spring of thoughts dried when he tried to put it into words and the only thing he could manage was, "I liked it a lot." And it was his turn to feel his face burning.

Souma blinked, his hand subconsciously trying to grip his sword only to remember that he had taken it off when he sat down. He flexed his fingers. He wasn't supposed to draw his sword. He had promised that he would keep it in its sheath, in exchange for the right to carry it around. But he had to practice, to keep the rust off of his fingers and the blade.

Letting Adonis watch means letting another person in on his secret, and everyone knows that never leads to anything good. He couldn't risk getting his sword taken away from him, but sitting there, looking at Adonis's clear, golden eyes, he couldn't find words to reject him.

So finally, he swallowed and said, "Sure. I'm, um, going again tomorrow if you'd like to come."

The clouds outside must have shifted and a string of light landed on Souma's face. His eyes looked like his sisters' amethysts. Adonis felt his heart fluttering in his chest. He cleared his throat a little to hide the colors on his face and said, "That sounds perfect."

The morning was bright, but Adonis could have sworn the redness on Souma's cheeks was not a trick of the light.

—

Souma stopped for the third time that morning, frustrated.

Adonis was sitting on a large rock, his chin resting in his hand, his golden eyes staring at him intensely. Souma felt embarrassed by how many mistakes he had made in the span of less than an hour. He was familiar with this routine, he created it. He could do it in his sleep. So why was he messing up? Why does he keep putting the wrong foot forward, or fumble when his movements were supposed to be fluid?

He stole a glance at Adonis, who doesn't seem to notice, or mind, that he was messing up.

Souma started again, lifting his sword above his head then bringing it down, flicking his wrist as he twisted it in a complicated flourish. He's had spectators before, back home when he was just practicing in his backyard. He relished in it, in a way. He loved having people watch him perform the increasingly more complicated choreography he dreamed up.

But Adonis's presence was different. He could feel his classmate's golden eyes and the admiration in them. He felt terrified of making mistakes and that caused even more mistakes in his step. He wanted to glance at Adonis but didn't dare, afraid that that would cause him to stumble or fall.

When he stepped forward with the wrong foot for the third time, he lowered his sword and stopped the practice. There was no point to keep practicing if his heart wasn't in it. He returned the sword to its scabbard, wiping his brows. He stole another glance at Adonis and made eye contact with those golden eyes. He started and hurriedly turned away to hide the colors on his cheeks. He took a deep breath to calm his beating heart, trying to begin his usual cooldown routine.

Adonis watched Souma, who was as still as the sleeping castle behind him. He held the sword in his elegant fingers. In his hands, the sword looked as if it took on a life of its own. It was a dance partner, a friend. It balanced beauty and deadliness on its razor-thin blade, much like the person that held it.

The sun was rising behind Souma, its light pouring down from the heavy, white clouds and gilded the world. The soft breeze carried with it the scent of the Black Lake and the songs its mermaids sang under the night sky. Through the thin tree crowns above them, Adonis could see the pale moon, slowly retreating as the sun climbed higher into the sky. The smoke from Hagrid's hut veiled the grey castle on the hill, which was beginning to stir. In the dawn, the world looked rosy.

And silhouetted at the midst of it all, at the center of Adonis's vision, was Souma. His long hair fell down his shoulder, the white ribbon he used to tie it hung slightly loose. The morning outlined his shape with light and he looked like a creature made out of light, beautiful and radiant.

In the mingling of the sunlight and fading starlight, Souma turned to Adonis and smiled. His eyes sparkled and Adonis, for a moment, forgot to breathe.

—

The forest at night is very different from the forest at dawn.

Adonis thought that, since Souma decided he would share his secret with him, it was only fair for him to share his secret with Souma.

Souma stayed close as they walked through the darkening forest. The sun was hanging low on the horizon and the moon was already high in the dark blue sky. A few stars winked in and out of existence. Branches crunched beneath their feet. Something howled in the depth of the forest and it made Souma grab Adonis's sleeve.

He hated being scared, but years spent at Hogwarts taught him that there are things living in the forest his sword was useless against and his spells would merely be a tickle. He felt defenseless and he didn't like that.

Adonis, on the other hand, seemed confident. He knew exactly where he was going. "Don't worry," he reassured Souma. "There's nothing living in this part." Souma trusted Adonis, but still, he stayed close and kept an eye out for any shadows moving in the undergrowth and among the thick tree trunks.

As the light of the castle faded into dark leaves behind them, they came upon a small clearing in the trees. Pinpricks of silver light dotted the sky above them. Adonis stopped and looked around.

"So, when they show up," Adonis said, "Don't go up to them right away, ok? You have to bow to them first. If they bow back, they're saying you can go up to them. And don't look away when you do."

Souma nodded nervously.

A few moments later, a dozen large shadows appeared in the trees. They walked slowly onto the clearing and into the light. Souma watched in wonder as a hippogriff that was smaller than the rest trotted up to Adonis and nudged his hand. One of the larger hippogriffs noticed him standing behind Adonis and flapped its wings.

Souma jumped. Then, remembering Adonis's words, he bowed stiffly to the creature. The hippogriff made no move to bow back, instead, it began circling him, inspecting him. Its sharp talons reflected cold light in the dark. Adonis was watching tensely, ready to leap to his aid if the hippogriff decides that Souma wasn't worthy of its respect.

Finally, when Souma felt he had held the bowing pose for an eternity, the hippogriff lowered its regal head and swept into a low bow.

Souma's heart swelled with joy. He straightened himself and carefully raised his hand. He moved slowly towards the hippogriff, making sure that he never took his eyes off of the creature.

The short distance between them took him an eternity to close. When he was close enough that he could touch its feathers if he stretched his arm, Souma stopped. He remembers reading somewhere that it was good to let the hippogriff make the first move.

The creature came to him even slower. Its proud head rubbed against his palm felt almost unreal. The feathers were cool and rough under his fingers. Souma's widened his eyes.

"This is amazing," he said out loud without taking his eyes off of the creature.

Adonis came up to him slowly. "They are beautiful creatures," he said. The hippogriff turned and playfully nipped at his hand.

"How did you come to know them?"

"I helped one," Adonis said, gesturing towards the small hippogriff that came to him first. "She led me here. I think they know I helped her, so they tolerate me."

"That's amazing," Souma said. There weren't a lot of things to say when you find out your friend has somehow managed to befriend a group of one of the most temperamental creatures known to the magical world.

"Have you ever tried riding one?" Adonis asked, stroking the hippogriff's head.

"Riding it?" Souma asked. "It'll let you?"

"If you ask it nicely." Adonis turned to the large hippogriff and asked, "can he?"

The creature bristled, but lowered itself a little, looking at Souma intensely. Its large yellow eyes looked like floodlights.

"Go ahead," Adonis said. "Just remember to hang on."

Souma hesitated for a moment but decided to do as Adonis say. Plus, the hippogriff was getting impatient and he was afraid that the creature might take this as an offense. After all, it was not everyday that the hippogriff allows someone to mount it.

He climbed onto the back of the creature perhaps a little too clumsily. He has a horse back at home, but horses are very different from magical beasts with talons and wings. The hippogriff raised its head and let out a sharp screech. Its powerful wings flapped a few times and it took off.

Souma let out a small yelp and hugged the creature's neck tight, burying his face in its feathers. When he felt that it wasn't climbing up anymore, he opened his eyes a crack and peeked out through his lashes.

The world was dark blue under him. Clouds churned above him, pinpricks of cold stars shone through the clouds shifted. The moon cast a gentle, silver light over the lake below. Every window of the castle was ablaze with orange light. Over the Quidditch field, shadows zoomed by on brooms. Souma squinted and thought he could see people lying on the banks of the lake. He reached out his hands, letting the wind dance through his fingers and tug at his hair. He was so high up he felt like he could touch the clouds if he stretches enough.

Another hippogriff glided over them and settled down next to them. Adonis was smiling from the back of the smaller hippogriff he had helped. Souma felt his fluttering heart settling down in his chest as if merely the sight of Adonis was enough to calm his anxiety about being so high up in the air.

The wind carried the laughter and music from the castle all the way into the air to the two boys flying above the world. It waltzed with the leaves and the soft flower petals of the forest below. Stars hung like crushed crystals above them, penetrating through the velvety gloom.

Souma stared at Adonis, who wore a look he had never quite seen before. The way he held of his hands as if he didn't care if he would fall from the back of the creature. He was confident and free like he belonged in the sky instead of on the ground. Starlight and moonlight wove together into a cape and cloaked the young man.

The hippogriffs lowered themselves to the water below, skimming and sending droplets flying. Then they rose again into the air, letting out loud screeches. Souma felt like they would keep flying forever in this silvery world. They would fly and fly until they were swimming in an ocean of stars.

Souma turned to look at Adonis, at his strong arms, his wind-tousled hair, his golden eyes shining in the silver night. And how their hippogriffs glided as they flew and it felt like they were dancing in the sky.

Souma turned his face away, hoping that the night would be enough to hide his burning face.

—

"What's the worst thing that can happen?" Kaoru asked, shaking his head.

_A lot of things,_ Adonis thought. He was just getting closer with Souma, and he didn't want to risk ruining it. He remembered the rosy mornings and lilac skies, the stars in Souma's eyes and the moonlight dancing on his blade, and he shuddered to think he could lose all of it if he tries to ask Souma to the Yule Ball.

"He's not going to say no," Kaoru reassured him. A hint of exasperation crept into the older boy's voice.

"But—"

"No buts!" Kaoru said. "It's not that hard. Watch this." He turned around and said, "Anzu! Want to go to the Ball with me?"

"No," the chestnut-haired Ravenclaw said without skipping a beat. Her blue eyes never once left the books in front of her.

Kaoru turned back to Adonis. "One of these days," he said, shaking his head. "Anyways, that wasn't hard, was it?"

"You got rejected."

"But it wasn't _hard_."

Adonis glanced at the Gryffindor table, but Souma wasn't there yet, but he should be soon. He would be heading to the Great Hall right now, still smelling faintly of the warmth of the greenhouse.

"You don't have a date. He doesn't have a date. The Ball is next week. You have to do something now if you don't want to go alone."

"Maybe we can just go together," Adonis said, hopeful, "As friends."

Kaoru made a face. "Just do it, Adonis. You don't want someone else to ask him, do you?"

Adonis started. "Are there anyone that want to ask him?"

"A lot of people want to ask him."

Adonis seemed to have deflated a little. "If so I-"

"Oh please. He will say yes, I know it. Anyone can see it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," Kaoru said. He looked up and grinned, "here he comes." Adonis turned and saw Souma ducking into the Great Hall and hurrying towards the Gryffindor table. Adonis felt his throat tightening.

"Go," Kaoru nudged Adonis's arm. "Just trust me on this."

—

Souma wrung his hands as he walked from Herbology to the Great Hall.

Outside, fat flakes of snow were falling quietly. A thick white blanket that seems to smother any sounds. In the distance, the Forbidden Forest was a dark smudge against the horizon. Souma wondered what the hippogriffs were doing. They hadn't visited them since the first snow months ago.

A cloud of dark blue Christmas ornaments floated by, followed by short-statured Professor Flitwick, towards the Great Hall.

The Yule Ball.

Souma had been trying to forget about the event. Whenever his roommates ask him who he was going with, he would shrug and gloss over the question. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid. Afraid of what could happen if he asks Adonis to go to the Ball with him. Afraid that it would cost him their nights flying over the Lake and mornings spent in that small clearing on the edge of the forest.

Souma would rather bury his feelings and stay as friends than lose Adonis all together.

The Great Hall was a scene of festive revelry. The ceiling disappeared into a dark blue night and fine flakes were dancing through the air. Christmas trees lined the walls and the great hearths were roaring with fire. Fairies carrying holly branches flitted around the trees. Mistletoes and icicles hung from the candles. Ornaments floated in midair, shimmering and shifting in the firelight.

Souma tried not to look at the Hufflepuffs as he walked to the Gryffindor table.

He was trying to stop a fairy from tugging his hair when Adonis came over and sat down across from him. Souma froze a little and the fairy saw the chance to grab the ribbon he uses to bound his hair.

Adonis took a deep breath as if preparing for an important speech, then said, "would you like to go to the Ball with me?"

The fairy giggled as she flew away, holding the ribbon like a victory flag. Souma couldn't quite react for a moment. His loose hair tickled his neck. His mind replayed the moment over and over again until the words became almost distorted, no longer a part of any language.

Adonis stared at him. Souma thought he could see the hearth's fire in his golden eyes. He swallowed. When the realization finally settled in, his heart began to flutter and heat crept onto his face.

"Oh," he said, "Y-Yes, of course. I would love to go."

Adonis gave him a grin. He stood and grabbed the ribbon from the fairy, earning an angry gesture from the little creature, and handed it back to Souma. Souma hurriedly tied back his hair, but he knew nothing could hide the redness of his face.

—

Adonis waited for Souma by the stairs outside the Great Hall. When he saw Souma walking down the stairs, he couldn't move his eyes away.

A thin cord wrapped around the top of his head, small gemstones hanging from it entwined with his long hair. A pair of red stones gleamed from his ears in the dimness. He wore an elaborate white robe with delicate patterns of black swirls sewed onto the bell-shaped sleeves and hem.

"You look wonderful," Adonis managed to say.

"Y-You too," Souma stammered. Adonis had on a dark suit with red cuffs. Golden thread lined the collar and the hem of the top. A pin shaped like a golden rose fastened a long cape onto his shoulder. His hair was partially brushed back, revealing a stud with a purple stone on his ear.

The two stared at each other for a little. Students dressed in revelry brushed past them, giggling as they streamed into the Great Hall. As they walked together, Souma thought Adonis smelled like the forest and snow.

The Great Hall was filled with music. Snow fell from the ceiling and colored the ground. The walls were painted silvery-blue, ice sculptures on the tables were dancing and singing. Fairies played around the Christmas trees and the fire in the hearths was blue. The long tables were cleared away to make room for the dance floor, which was already filled with students.

Neither Adonis nor Souma really knows how to dance. When they did, they kept stepping on each other's feet. When they apologized for the fifth time, they looked at each other and laughed. The sound of their laughs disappeared into the music and echoed under the ceiling. Souma thought Adonis's eyes were brighter and more beautiful than any gems.

As the night wind down, the two found themselves sitting under a sculpture that would shower them with rosy sparkles once every few minutes. On the dance floor, Anzu seemed to have finally agreed to a dance with Kaoru. They twirled over the snow on the ground, her pale pink dress fanning out around her.

The music has changed from booming songs to soft strings. The light dimmed from bright silver to a dim blue. In the soft gloom, couples clang to each other as they swayed. Stars shone from the ceiling like crushed jewels.

Souma was dozing off, his head leaning against Adonis's shoulder, tired from the night's activities. As the soft song ended, Souma glanced up at Adonis. The sound of the Great Hall seemed to have faded. The gentle blue light softened his feature and made him look like he belongs in a dream. The sculpture released another burst of bright sparks. As the sparks rained down on them, a few were caught in the curl of his hair. Compelled by an unknown force, Souma took Adonis's hand and squeezed it three times.

Adonis looked up him in momentary surprise. Then he took Souma's hand and held it. His hand was warm and dry.

Souma didn't know when he had drifted off to sleep, but when he did he dreamed of a forest under the morning sun, a flight under the stars, and Adonis with a crown of light set into his hair, magnificent and radiant.


End file.
